What to do with my mx5?

Holst1981

Holst1981

Holst1981

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I've had my mx5 for 6 years.

Is a x reg and will soon be 17 years old (I think)

Ive been intending to change it for a newer model for a bit but recently quite a few problems have appeared.

Mainly....

Ticking from engine (sounds like tappet needs ajusting)
Abs light is on (faulty sensor)
Drivers electric window motor has failed.
Losing a bit of coolant (I think it's the pipe that feeds the heater matrix)
Central locking and alarm broken.
Alloys have corroded quite a bit.

Ive easily had my money's worth from it but I'm not sure what to do with it now.

I don't think it's worth fixing all these faults and I don't have the time or enthusiasm to do it myself.

Would a garage take it as part exchange? Or is it too much of a shed?
Scrap it?
Private sale or eBay it?

What would you do with it?

Reluctant to scrap it but I don't want to have it hanging around once I've found a replacement (won't take long as there seem to be plenty of mx5 around within my budget)

Thanks for reading.
 
Someone would buy it on ebay for £500~ I imagine, or you could sort out some of the issues and list it for a bit more. The engine noise will be the primary concern for any prospective buyer I imagine.

What are the sills and chassis rails like?
 
Why would you even consider scrapping it? Throwaway society.com

Just stick it on eBay and list the issues.

How long is the mot? Guessing it is rusting too.
 
Is there any rust in the sills or the front frame rails?

If not it'll have a decent value for someone to use for track days etc.

Take good pictures and put an honest description up on eBay and someone will buy it.
 
The rust isn't bad, one side was quite bad but it's been fixed (not perfectly painted but it's solid)
The other side was repaired before I bought it but it's starting to go again.

My main worry with private sale is finding it difficult to sell.
Especially having lots of people come look and waste my time.

Would a honest eBay advert with a low reserve be the best bet?

Mot until February.
 
Holst1981 said:
The rust isn't bad, one side was quite bad but it's been fixed (not perfectly painted but it's solid)
The other side was repaired before I bought it but it's starting to go again.

My main worry with private sale is finding it difficult to sell.
Especially having lots of people come look and waste my time.

Would a honest eBay advert with a low reserve be the best bet?

Mot until February.
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How much is scrap? £50?

Put it on eBay with no reserve and you'll get more than that. Make sure you list the issues.
 
I'd be tempted to spend a bit on investigating and then fixing the engine if it turns out to be a really cheap fix.

Listing it on eBay is definitely the way to go, but all the other faults are very minor. So, if you can sort the engine cheaply it'll make the car a lot more attractive for potential buyers.
 
As long as the sills/chassis rails aren't made of cheese it's worth £750-£1000 all day long. None of the issues with it are difficult or expensive repairs for someone competent with a bit of DIY maintenance

Edit: mk2s always go a bit rattly from the top end, they are shim under bucket solid lifter cams so will need valve clearances doing to quieten them down as they get older (Not a cheap or quick job)
 
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Lifter tick will be usually be cured with some good fresh oil and italian tuneup. ABS sensor is cheap. Nobody cares about the other stuff, should fetch 1k easy.
 
Its more worth 750 - 1000 IF all those issues are sorted out first, from what ive seen recently.

Also have we determined if it is a 1 6, 1.8 or 1.8 S?
 
Until the condition of the front chassis rails is confirmed its either worth fixing or worth breaking for parts. Chassis rail rust kills these far more often than mechanical issues
 
Italian tuneup does solve the noise temporarily.

Is a 1.8 jasper conran mk2 in black.

If I wasnt working so many hours I'd fix it myself but to be honest I can't be bothered.

Worth trying engine flush stuff?

Should have sold it in Feb after the last Mot but I've only just saved up enough money to replace it.
 
A 1.8 Jasper Conran eh. Should be worth decent money as it is as thats one of the more desirable ones. :)
 
Acme said:
A 1.8 Jasper Conran eh. Should be worth decent money as it is as thats one of the more desirable ones. :)
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TBH non of the uk mk2/2.5s 'special editions' are that desirable, other than the 10th Anniversary. But again, many people are put of/wont even entertain a mk2 due to the chassis rails. People buy on condition so will pay more money for a bog standard run of the mill mk2/2.5 in clean condition then they will for a rotten special condition.

For those who dont know about the front chassis rail 'problem' take a look at some of the pictures here: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=m...ved=0ahUKEwjBw4ieq7DPAhUnIcAKHZA3Dc0Q_AUIBygC
 
Clarkey said:
I don't know why people get so butthurt about the chassis leg thing, it's such a simple repair job.
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I know you can buy the repair sections for it, but it isn't a "simple job" by most peoples standards, and it still costs a few hundred quid to do, which is a big deal on a car which is only a few hundred quid in the first place! :)
 
Clarkey said:
I don't know why people get so butthurt about the chassis leg thing, it's such a simple repair job.
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If caught early enough it is. My brother is currently breaking his mk2.5 sport due to the rails being too far gone. He bought the repair sections and we cut the old ones out but the rust had spread too far back towards the bulkhead rendering in scrap. If you catch it early enough and are handy with a welder it's possible to diy it, if not most places charge about £300 a side to repair.
 
Clarkey said:
You don't need a repair section lol it's only box section any idiot could form that from sheet.
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Of course you could make you're own, but getting all the mounting points (arbs for example) in the correct place can be awkward. Repair sections are cheap so why not use them?
 
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